A Coolify Alternative
With Dated Security Audits
On 8 January 2026, 11 critical vulnerabilities in Coolify were made public (CVSS 9.4 to 10.0, versions up to 4.0.0-beta.450). sh0 documents its own audits: an internal audit on 17 March 2026 and an independent audit on 5 October 2026, whose fixes are in progress.
The quick verdict
sh0 gives you the same self-hosted deployment workflow as Coolify -- git push deploys, auto-SSL, managed databases -- in a single ~58 MB Rust binary that idles at ~140 MB of RAM with its Caddy, with dated security audits and a built-in Claude AI assistant.
Feature-by-feature comparison
How sh0 and Coolify stack up across security, performance, AI, CLI, and deployment features.
| Feature | sh0 | Coolify |
|---|---|---|
| Security audits | Internal audit (17 Mar 2026), independent audit (5 Oct 2026, fixes in progress) | 11 critical CVEs made public on 8 Jan 2026 |
| RAM footprint (idle) | ~140 MB (sh0 + Caddy) | Not published (2 GB server minimum) |
| Binary size | ~58 MB single binary | Multi-container stack |
| Built-in AI assistant | 105 tools, Claude, MCP | -- |
| MCP server | Streamable HTTP (Claude Desktop, Cursor) | -- |
| AI sandbox | Debug in isolated container | -- |
| CLI push deploy | sh0 push: detect, build, live in 35s | -- |
| CLI commands | 30+, JSON output | -- |
| Code health check | 34 rules pre-deploy | -- |
| Multi-server BYOS | SSH tunnel, pure Rust | Docker Swarm |
| Templates | 171 one-click | 280+ |
| Auto-SSL | Caddy + Let's Encrypt | Traefik |
| Export to K8s/Vercel/AWS | 7 formats | -- |
| Stack auto-detection | 19 stacks | Limited |
| License | Commercial ($0--$99/mo) | Open-source (cloud from $5/mo) |
| Mobile app | sh0 Manager (iOS & Android) | -- |
Sources (checked on 7 October 2026): The Hacker News, 8 January 2026 · NVD CVE-2025-64420 · Coolify pricing · Coolify server requirements
Why developers switch
Documented Coolify issues -- and how sh0 handles them.
"CVE-2025-64420: a low-privileged user could read the root SSH private key"
sh0 documents its audits: internal on 17 March 2026 (34 issues, the 6 critical ones fixed by the report date), independent on 5 October 2026 (fixes in progress). Secrets are encrypted with AES-256-GCM.
"Coolify’s documented minimum is a 2 GB server"
sh0 and its Caddy idle at ~140 MB. A single Rust binary replaces the multi-container stack. Your $4/mo VPS has room left for your actual apps.
What sets sh0 apart
Features you will not find in any other self-hosted PaaS.
Built-in Claude AI
105 tools, MCP server for Claude Desktop and Cursor, AI sandbox for debugging in isolated containers, 3 Claude model tiers. Ask your server questions in natural language.
CLI with sh0 push
One-command deploy from your local directory. Detects stack, runs health check, packages, uploads, builds -- live URL in ~35 seconds. 30+ commands with JSON output for CI/CD.
Audited Security
Internal audit of 17 March 2026: 34 issues, the 6 critical ones fixed by the report date. Independent audit of 5 October 2026: fixes in progress. AES-256-GCM secrets, Argon2id passwords, RBAC, TOTP 2FA, rate limiting.
Beyond Deployment: Full Backend Services
Coolify deploys containers. sh0 also gives you a complete backend-as-a-service stack.
PostgREST API
Auto-generated REST API from your PostgreSQL tables. One-click enable.
Auth Service (Logto)
OIDC-compliant auth with social login, MFA, and admin console.
Realtime (Centrifugo)
WebSocket + SSE with channels, presence, and history.
Serverless Functions (Deno)
TypeScript/JavaScript functions, HTTP-invokable.
S3 Storage (MinIO)
S3-compatible object storage with web console and access keys.
Email Hosting (Stalwart)
DKIM/SPF/DMARC auto-config. Cloudflare DNS auto-setup.
Pricing comparison
sh0 is free forever for 1 stack with unlimited apps. No credit card, no time limit.
| Plan | sh0 | Coolify Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 (1 stack, unlimited apps, forever) | Free (self-hosted, all features) |
| Solo | $19/mo (unlimited stacks) | $5/mo (Cloud, 2 servers) |
| Teams | $99/mo (RBAC, clusters) | $5/mo + $3 per extra server (Cloud) |
| Self-hosted | Free binary | Free |
Ready to switch?
Install sh0 in under 30 seconds. Free forever for 1 stack with unlimited apps -- no credit card required.